Aerosol medication inhalation system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for use in conjunction with a metered dose inhaler which includes a novel valve system to aid in the delivery of aerosolized medicament to a subject. The apparatus also includes a novel rotational flow generator to aid in the useable delivery of said medication and avoid its loss either in the apparatus or by non-useful delivery to said subject.

This application is a Continuation Application of Ser. No. 10/943542,filed Sep. 17, 2004 in the United States, which is a Continuation of No.10/137007, filed May 2, 2002 in the United States and whichapplication(s) are incorporated herein by reference. A claim of priorityto all, to the extent appropriate is made.

BACKGROUND

The present invention is directed to apparatus for delivering aerosolmedicament to a subject in need of the medicament. Delivery systemsstart with an aerosol-generating device. One common example of suchdevices is a pressurized metered dose inhaler (MDI). MDIs usepressurized gases to disperse medicament as tiny particles or dropletsfor delivery to the subject. By depressing the MDI, a known quantity ofgas, and thereby of medicament, is ejected from the MDI. MDIs have beenused with various types of diverse apparatus, in attempts to improve thedelivery of this known quantity of medicament to the subject. Someproblems associated with the delivery of medicament in an aerosol forminclude, but are not limited to, wastage of medicament in the deliveryapparatus, delivery at too high speeds so that medicament sticks to theback of the subject's throat or is inhaled into the subject's sinusesrather than being received into the lungs, ejection of medicament out ofthe apparatus towards a subject without inhalation thereby, and ejectionof medicament from the MDI upon exhalation by the subject into theapparatus prior to inhalation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a mouthpiece with a valvefor controlling the delivery of aerosolized medicament to a subject. Themouthpiece includes a housing that defines a passage through which themedicament flows to the subject. The housing has a one-piece valvesystem that permits passage of medicament aerosol to the subject duringinhalation, but does not permit the passage of the subject's breath inthe upstream direction during exhalation, with the exhaled breath beingexpelled through an opening in the sidewall of the housing.

Another aspect of the present invention combines this mouthpiece andvalve system with a holding chamber, which is disposed between themouthpiece and the source of aerosol. In a further feature of thisaspect of the invention, the interior of the holding chamber hasanti-electrostatic properties to reduce the amount of medicamentadhering to the walls of the holding chamber and thereby increase thedelivery efficiency of the system.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a holding chamber isprovided with a receptacle member adapted to accept a source of aerosolmedicament. The receptacle member may aid in the efficient delivery ofmedicament to the subject, for example by being vented to allow outsideair to be mixed with the medicament aerosol in the holding chamber. Inaddition, if a rotation is imparted to the outside air brought into theholding chamber, the adhesion of medicament to the walls of the holdingchamber can be reduced and the effort necessary to inhale through anapparatus of this type may be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an assembled view of an example of the aerosol medicamentdelivery apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the delivery member used in the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the delivery member.

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are top and bottom views of the valve element used inthe apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the delivery member.

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the adaptor member used in theapparatus.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the adaptor member.

FIGS. 9 a and 9 b are top and bottom views of the receptacle member usedin the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the aerosol medicament delivery apparatus 10of the present invention is composed of a holding chamber 200 with firstand second ends. At the first end of the holding chamber is a receptacle300 for connection to a source of aerosol medication. For the purposesof the present invention, aerosol medicament or aerosol medication isintended to include finely divided solid or liquid materials that arecarried by a gas for delivery to a subject's respiratory tract,especially to the lungs. This includes nebulized materials. Themedicament and carrier gas aerosol composition can be prepared prior touse if it exhibits sufficient physical and chemical stability, or it canbe prepared in situ from sources of solid or liquid medicament materials(either in pure form or combined with a suitable solid or liquidsolvent, excipient or diluent) and pressurized gas.

At the second end is a mouthpiece member 100 for delivering aerosolmedicament to a subject through a valve 150. The mouthpiece memberincludes a housing 101 that defines a passage 102 through which aerosolmedicament can be supplied to a subject and has an opening 103 thatopens to the outside of the housing. The valve, discussed below, is ofone-piece construction. During inhalation the valve permits the flow ofaerosol medicament from the holding chamber to the subject, whileblocking the inflow of outside air to the passage 102 through thesidewall of the housing of the mouthpiece member. During exhalation, thevalve blocks the flow of exhaled air upstream in the direction of theholding chamber, and permits the exhaled air to be exhausted through thesidewall of the housing.

In an exemplary embodiment, the housing 101 is composed of a deliverymember 110 and an adaptor member 170. The opening 103 may be defined, asit is in part in the exemplary embodiment, by a notch 186 in the adaptormember. The delivery member and adaptor member may be releasablyconnected by a quick release mechanism 182. In the exemplary embodiment,the quick release mechanism is a flexible wall, upon which a positioningelement 175 may be located. Also, in the exemplary embodiment, thehousing is transparent. This has the advantage that it allows for thesubject to visually verify the operation of the valve, to ensure openingand closing during treatment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the delivery member 110 may include a subject sidesection 120, a connecting ring 130, and an adaptor side section 140. Inthe exemplary embodiment, the subject side section of the deliverymember of the mouthpiece is sized and shaped to fit a human mouth, e.g.having an oval shape. The subject end section is defined by a housingcomposed of a sidewall having a height 124, and upon which may beprovided at least one ridge 125. Positioning pins 141 may be provided onthe adaptor side section of the delivery member.

Referring to FIG. 4, the adaptor side section 140 of the delivery member110 in this exemplary embodiment has walls 142 arranged around anopening 145. One or more openings, for example the illustrated notches147, is formed in the wall 142 and can define an exhaust opening fromthe delivery member for exhaled air. This opening is closed by the valveduring inhalation, and the opening may be provided with an element toassist in seating a valve member, for example protrusion 146. The endface 144 of the wall can be used as a surface for holding the valve inplace when the apparatus is assembled, in cooperation with an opposedsurface on the adaptor member. Also, in this embodiment, the fourpositioning pins 141 extend from the end face of the wall 142.

Referring to FIGS. 5 a and 5 b, the one-piece two-way valve system 150allows for inhalation and exhalation with a single valve. The valve hasa base 151, a first valve element 152, which has a duck-bill shape inthis embodiment, and a second valve element 153, which is shaped like ahinged flap 153 in this embodiment. In the exemplary embodiment, thevalve is composed of a flexible material and there are two hinged flaps153. The two valve elements may be joined at or carried on a common base151. The base has a thickness 154 that is less than the height of thepositioning pins of the mouthpiece, so that the pins may passtherethrough. There is an opening 155 in the base, which may be definedas the perimeter of contact between the duck-bill and the base. Theexemplary embodiment has four positioning holes 156 placed near theperimeter of the base, each being sized to admit the matchingpositioning pins. Thus, when the apparatus is assembled, the positioningpins of the mouthpiece penetrate the positioning holes of the valve baseand the valve base forms a substantially airtight seal between thedelivery member and the adaptor member.

The duck-bill is a shape predominantly that of a wedge with a verynarrow split across the apex of the wedge. The split is narrow enoughthat the two edges forming the ends of the duck-bill are substantiallyin contact when there is no external pressure on the duck-bill. Theduck-bill has a span, a height, and a thickness. The height of theduck-bill is the vertical distance between the apex of the wedge wherethe split is located and the base. The span is the distance of the splitacross the thin edge of the wedge and the height. The span issufficiently narrow that the apex of the duck bill will fit within thedelivery member without contacting it. Thus, the dead zone within thedelivery member is minimized by the valve extending therein. The valvemay be as wide as possible to provide for easier inhalation, but justnarrower than the passage so that the duck-bill sides do not receivepressure and the lips of the duck-bill are not parted except byinhalation.

Dead space refers to the volume of the apparatus containing air which isrebreathed. Dead space is inherent in any valve-based system enclosedwithin a mouthpiece or mask; it is the space between the mouth of asubject and the valve. Any subject has a limited volume of air that maybe inhaled, and which then is exhaled. This is the subject's tidalvolume. The inhalation air will contain both oxygen and medicament. Theexhalation air will contain carbon dioxide. In a sealed system, allinhalation air will come through the valve and will contain a preferablemixture of medicament laden air. However, this inhalation air will becombined with whatever gases remain sealed within the dead space ontheir way to being actually inhaled into the subject's respiratorytract. Similarly, when the subject exhales, all air must pass throughthis dead zone on the way out the exhaust portion of the valve system.

Because the subject will be incapable of forcing a complete vacuumwithin this sealed system, the dead space will contain gases that thenwill be re-inhaled during the next breathing cycle. Given that thevolume of the subject's lungs is fixed, the larger the volume of thesystem's dead space, the smaller the volume of medicament laden air thesubject will receive with each breathing cycle. Thus, the larger thevolume of dead space, the less efficient the system because increasingdead space causes a buildup of carbon dioxide and rebreathing.Rebreathing carbon dioxide can have an adverse effect on breathing ratesand patterns, especially for small children who have very small tidalvolumes. Duck-bill valves are more efficient than diaphragm valvesbecause the volume encompassed by the duck-bill is subtracted from spacethat otherwise would be dead space in a diaphragm-based system.

The duck-bill is thin enough that the sides of the wedge will flex whenthe atmospheric pressure on the opposite side of the base from theduck-bill is greater than that above the duck-bill. This causes theedges of the duck-bill to part, letting air flow through the duck-billin the direction from the base to mouthpiece. Thus, in the presentembodiment, air is permitted to flow through the mouthpiece to a subjectduring inhalation. The duck-bill closes automatically at the end ofinhalation when the atmospheric pressure differential is removed. Thus,the flow of exhaled air upstream of the valve to the holding chamber isprevented during exhalation.

The exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides two hingedflaps 153 extending from on or near the perimeter of the base. Eachhinged flap 153 is sized so as to be able to cover a corresponding notch147 when assembled. Each flap is placed on the base at such a positionand at such an angle that when the base is placed onto the positioningpins of the mouthpiece, the flap covers one of the notches 147. The flapis hinged onto the base so that it may cover the notch 147 duringinhalation, thereby preventing the flow of outside air into the interiorof the housing through the opening in the sidewall of the housing. Whenthe mouthpiece of the apparatus of the exemplary embodiment isassembled, the notch of the delivery member 147 and the aforementionednotch of the adaptor member 186 may be aligned radially, and the hingedoutgas flap 153 is disposed between these notches. The flexible materialforming each of the outgas flaps is sufficiently thin to allow an outgasflap to flex through at least a few degrees of flexibility whendifferences in relative atmospheric pressure caused by human breathingexert flexing pressure on said flap, thereby moving the flap away fromthe notch 147 during exhalation and allowing exhaled air to pass out ofthe mouthpiece through the notch 186.

Referring to FIG. 6, the subject side section 120 of the delivery membermay be formed by a sidewall 128 that is generally cylindrical in shapewith an oval cross section. The exemplary embodiment has two side points122, opposite each other on the sidewall, and two lip points 123,opposite each other on the sidewall. Each lip point is equidistantbetween the two side points. There is a contact end 126 where thesidewall is joined to the connecting ring and a lip end 127 opposite thecontact end. The upper opening of the sidewall 121 at the lip end isoval. There is a lower opening of the sidewall at the contact end,through which the tip of the duck-bill valve passes.

Ridges 125 may be provided for placement of the subject's lips, or toaid in the placement of an adaptor mask on the outside of the deliverymember. Shaped correctly, a ridge 125 may be used to seal and mount sucha mask with a tight pressure fit. These ridges are placed approximatelyhalfway down the upper section, and are wedge shaped in the exemplaryembodiment. Specifically, they are formed by the upper and lowerthickness measurements being equal at the side points and the lowerthickness being greater than the upper thickness at the lip points.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the connecting ring 130 between the adaptorside and subject side sections of the delivery member has an interioropening 135, which may be equal in size to and substantially continuouswith the opening of the sidewall of the subject side section. It has anexterior limit 131 that is greater than the interior opening, and asurface 132 where the connecting ring is joined to the subject sidesection. The surface 132 extends from the sidewall 128 outwards towardthe exterior limit 131 where it joins with an exterior wall 133.

The exterior wall 133 may be substantially parallel to the sidewall 128and extends from the top surface in a direction away from the lip end ofthe subject side section. The exterior wall has an interior surface andan exterior surface, the interior surface being closer to the interioropening of the connecting ring. In the exemplary embodiment, there aretwo contact openings 134 in the top surface, which are disposedapproximately equidistantly around the circumference of the top surface.Each contact hole is adapted to accept a portion of the adaptor member,to help hold the two members of the mouthpiece securely together. On theinterior surface of the exterior wall, there may be provided twoengaging members 136, or catches, each being below a contact hole. Theyare wedge shaped and oriented with the thin end of the wedge towards theadaptor side for ease in connecting and resistance to disconnecting. Inthe exemplary embodiment, each has a width less than that of thecorresponding contact opening above the catch, a length less than thatof the distance between the top and bottom of the exterior wall of theconnecting ring, and a height less than the length.

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 4, the width 143 of each section thatmakes up the wall 142 is approximately as wide as a contact opening inthe top surface of the connecting ring. Each wall section is disposedalong the interior opening substantially adjacent to a contact opening,thus providing a limit to the flexing of the walls of the adaptormember, which is discussed below. In the exemplary embodiment, each wallsection has two positioning pins 141 placed along the end face of thewall, extending in the same direction. They are placed near the edge ofthe wall sections, and can be placed as far apart from each other as thewidth of a contact opening in the surface of the connecting ring. Due totheir height, the sections of the wall 142 extend into the space of theadaptor member when the apparatus is assembled. Protrusions 146 may bedisposed on the perimeter of the opening forming the passage forexhalation air flow (notches 147). These protrusions act as stopelements for the exhaust flap portions of the one-piece valve, limitingtheir travel in an inward direction. As will be seen in more detailbelow, when the subject inhales, these exhaust flaps are pressed bysuction against the stop elements and form a seal so that the pressureof inhalation is fully directed towards drawing the medicament laden airfrom the holding chamber.

Referring to FIG. 7, the adaptor member 170 may be generallyfrustoconical in shape, thereby providing for the smooth change indiameter from the holding chamber to the delivery member. In theexemplary embodiment, it is both frustoconical and transparent. Atransparent embodiment of the present invention has the additionaladvantage of allowing the subject to visually verify the presence of themedicament during delivery to the patient. The adaptor member may have abase end 171, a conical midsection 172, four wall sections, and adelivery side end 173. The base end is adapted to cooperate with theedge of the holding chamber, for example forming an exterior wallextending from the end of the cone. The base end of the adaptor memberalso may have an inner wall 174 extending from the end of the cone. Inthe exemplary embodiment, each of these two walls having a height of atleast 0.5 mm to define a groove for accepting the edge of the holdingchamber. In this case, the walls are shaped and positioned such that,when the chamber is positioned between the inner and outer walls and athin layer of adhesive is applied between the walls, a substantiallyairtight seal may be formed between the holder and the chamber. Othersystems for joining the adaptor member and holding chamber may be used,including permanent bonding or releasable connections. The releasableconnection may not be needed when the delivery member is made of tworeadily-separated components that allow for easy cleaning and forreplacement of the valve when necessary, as in the illustratedembodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the wall arising from the frustoconicalmidsection 172 of the adaptor member 170 may be divided into foursections, including two catch walls 176 and two vent walls 177 in theexemplary embodiment. These may be placed alternately around thedelivery side end of the adaptor member. Each catch wall 176 may have acatch opening 178 sized to admit one of the catches 136 of theconnecting ring 130 of the delivery member 110. A catch wall 176 ispositioned on the adaptor member such that its opening 178 is adapted tofit a catch 136 when the two adaptor and delivery members are joined.The end 179 of the catch wall 176 may fit a contact opening 134 of theconnecting ring 130 of the delivery member 110. The catch walls 176 maybe flexible, so that they may be bent by the subject applying pressureat the positioning points 175 to release the catch 136 from the opening178. This allows the two members of the exemplary housing 101 to bejoined and separated in a quick-release fashion. Each valve wall 177 inthe exemplary embodiment is U shaped. That is, it is a wall on the longside of the oval opening with a notch 186 in it. Other systems forconnecting the adaptor member and delivery member can be used. Inaddition, the catch and opening could be reversed, i.e. the openingprovided on the connecting ring and the catch provided on wall sectionof the adaptor member.

The delivery side end of the conical adaptor member may have an opening185 of substantially the same size as the opening 155. An airtight sealmay be formed between the opposing surfaces of the adaptor member andthe delivery member by the valve. That is, the valve base 151 may haveopposing surfaces arranged to meet those of the adaptor member and thedelivery member and form an airtight seal when the apparatus isassembled. The exemplary embodiment's adaptor member 170 has a rim 180around the opening 185 with four positioning openings 181 in the rim,one for each pin 141. Thus, when the two members are joined, the fourpins of the delivery member drop into these openings in the exemplaryembodiment.

Referring to back FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the cylindrical holding chamber 200may be defined by a length of cylindrical tube that extends between themouthpiece 100 and a source of aerosol medicament and includes thereceptacle 300 accepting an outlet from a source of aerosol medicamentsuch as a metered dose inhaler or the like. The tube wall 201 may besized to fit between the inner wall 174 and the outer wall 171 of thebase of the mouthpiece. In the exemplary embodiment, the holding chamberis made of a lightweight metal or alloy, such as aluminum or an alloythereof.

The use of such material reduces the risk of resistance to medicamentflow by static attraction between the particles of medicament and theholding chamber wall. Alternatively, the surface of a holding chamber ofany material may be treated with an anti-electrostatic coating orprocess to achieve this advantage. In the exemplary embodiment using ametal tube, the tube is anodized which provides the advantage of sealingthe micro-porosity of such a tube's surface and stabilizing it againstoxidation.

Referring to FIGS. 9 a and 9 b, the receptacle 300 may include a basewith a lip 310, an opening 350 for accepting a source of aerosolmedicament in the base with a collar 370 extending into the chamber 200,an air vent 320, and a supporting wall 340 that surrounds the openingarising from the base into the chamber. The exemplary embodiment hasfour vents. The receptacle base is sized to fit within the tube of theholding chamber. It may be formed of a resilient and flexible materialsuch that it may be removed from the chamber tube (e.g., for cleaning)and replaced many times without loss of functionality, such asmaintenance of structural integrity or the ability of the receptacle toform a substantially airtight seal with the tube, throughout the life ofthe apparatus. In the exemplary embodiment, the receptacle may beremoved and replaced hundreds of times without ripping, tearing orotherwise harming the functionality of the apparatus. This removalresilience also applies to the removal and replacement of the source ofaerosol medicament from the apparatus. The lip 310 of the receptaclefits around the perimeter of the base of the member so that the lipextends beyond the edge of the tube. The lip may be sized such that itforms a substantially airtight seal with the tube. Other systems can beused to join the receptacle to the tube if desired.

The opening 350 of the receptacle of the exemplary embodiment may besized to accept several different types of aerosol medicament sourcessuch as MDIs. The collar 370 is sufficiently long and flexible to form aseal with the aerosol medicament source when one is admitted into thereceptacle. The supporting wall 340 of the exemplary embodiment isprovided with cyclone baffles 330 placed upon the outside of the wall(relative to the opening) and support ribs 360 radially placed upon theinside of the wall. The support ribs 360 extend from the wall towardsthe collar 370. They are sized so that there is space for the collar tobe pressed up against the ribs when a typical MDI is inserted into theopening. Thus, an airtight seal may be formed around the source of theaerosol medicament. The support ribs of the exemplary embodiment providesupport to the source of aerosol medicament by holding that sourceagainst the structure of the collar.

The vents 320 allow outside air to be drawn into the holding chamberduring inhalation. This helps to push the aerosol medicament to thesubject during inhalation. Each cyclone baffle 330 extends towards thebase and is aligned with a vent 320 so that the point where the bafflereaches the base is just beyond the vent. The baffle thus covers thevent. The baffle may have a width sufficient to form a seal between thesupporting wall and the tube wall of the chamber. By using the baffle todirect airflow coming through the vents, a rotational flow is impartedto the air entering the chamber through the vents. In the exemplaryembodiment, the placement of the cyclone baffles above the vents andnext to the wall of the holding chamber wall directs outside air to andalong the wall of the holding chamber. This reduces the tendency formedicament to adhere to the wall of the holding chamber. Although eachof the four vents have been provided with a cyclone baffle in thepresent embodiment, this may not be necessary in all cases.

The exemplary embodiment of the present invention is steam autoclavableeither assembled or disassembled. This advantage arises from both thechoice of materials used, as herein discussed, and the materials andmethods of assembling the components of the invention, such as the quickrelease mechanism 182 and the use of high-temperature adhesive at thejunction of adaptor member 170 and holding chamber 200. Further, thepresent invention is easily disassembled for cleaning and partsreplacement by a non-technical person.

While a detailed description of the present invention has been providedabove, the invention is not limited thereto. Modifications that do notdepart from the scope and spirit of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. The invention is defined by the claims thatfollow.

1. An apparatus for aerosol medication delivery, comprising: a holdingchamber having a first and second ends, the first end being adapted toaccept a source of aerosol medicament; and a mouthpiece member providedat the second end of the holding chamber, for delivering aerosolmedicament to a subject, the mouthpiece member comprising: a housingdefining a passage through which aerosol medicament can be supplied to asubject and comprising a sidewall in which an opening is formed thatopens to the outside of the housing; and a one-piece valve membercomprising a first valve element in fluid communication with themouthpiece and the holding chamber, the first valve element within thepassage to permit delivery of aerosol to a subject during inhalation andblocks the passage during exhalation and a second valve element in fluidcommunication with the mouthpiece and the opening in the side wall, thesecond valve element to prevent air from reaching the subject throughthe opening in the sidewall of the housing during inhalation and permitsthe flow of air to the outside of the housing from the passage duringexhalation, wherein the first valve element extends axially away fromthe housing when the apparatus is in a rest position.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the housing defining the passage comprises adelivery member and an adaptor member, the adaptor member is provided atthe second end of the holding chamber, and the delivery member isreleasably connected to the adaptor member.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2,wherein the opening in the sidewall of the mouthpiece member is providedin the adaptor member.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the openingin the sidewall of the mouthpiece member is provided in the deliverymember.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the opening in the sidewallis defined by a notch defined in an edge of the adaptor member and anotch defined in an edge of the delivery member.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein the delivery member is releasably connected to theadaptor member by a quick-release mechanism.
 7. The apparatus of claim6, wherein the quick-release mechanism comprises a flexible walldisposed on one of the adaptor member or the delivery member, theflexible wall comprising an engaging member that releasably engages theother of the adaptor member or the delivery member.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein the flexible wall comprises a positioning elementadapted for a human digit, placed to define a location for flexing thewall to release the engaging member.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the mouthpiece is sized and shaped to fit a human mouth.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the delivery member is provided with aridge.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ridge is adapted forattaching a mask.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing hasa stop element that limits the range of motion of the second valveelement in the direction of the passage.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein the stop element is disposed on the delivery member.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the first valve element is a duck-billvalve.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve member iscomposed of a flexible material.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe second valve element is a hinged flap that seats adjacent theopening in the sidewall.
 17. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the firstvalve element and the second valve element are joined together at avalve base.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the valve base formsa substantially airtight seal between the delivery member and theadaptor member.
 19. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adaptor memberand the delivery member define first and second opposed surfaces and thevalve member is held between the first and second opposed surfaces. 20.The apparatus of claim 19, wherein one of the delivery member and theadaptor member comprises a plurality of pins that extend from one of thefirst and second opposed surfaces and the other of the delivery memberand the adaptor member comprises openings for accepting the pins. 21.The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the valve member is provided withopenings through which the pins extend.
 22. The apparatus of claim 5,wherein the notch of the delivery member and the notch of the adaptormember are aligned radially when the mouthpiece is assembled.
 23. Theapparatus of claim 22, wherein the second valve element is disposedbetween the notches.
 24. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one of thedelivery member or the adaptor member comprises a pair of radiallyspaced walls and the other of the delivery member or the adaptor membercomprises a wall that extends into the space between the spaced walls.25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece member has a firstend adapted to the second end of the holding chamber and a second endfor delivery of the aerosol medicament, which has an oval shape inlateral cross section.
 26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housingof the mouthpiece member has inner and outer walls disposed at and incontact with the holding chamber such that the second end of the holdingchamber extends into a space between the inner and outer walls.
 27. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece member is connected to theholding chamber by an adhesive.
 28. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe mouthpiece is formed of a transparent material.
 29. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the housing is formed from a transparent material. 30.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adaptor member is substantiallyfrustoconical in shape.
 31. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein theadaptor member is formed from a transparent material.
 32. The apparatusof claim 2, wherein the delivery member is formed from a transparentmaterial.
 33. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holding chamber iscylindrical.
 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the holding chamberis formed of metal.
 35. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holdingchamber is treated with an anti-electrostatic coating.
 36. The apparatusof claim 1, further comprising a receptacle member at the first end ofthe holding chamber, having an opening adapted to receive an outlet ofan aerosol generating device.
 37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein theopening in the receptacle member is capable of accepting outlets ofdifferent aerosol generating devices.
 38. A mouthpiece member foraerosol medicament delivery, having first and second ends, the first endbeing adapted to accept a source of aerosol medicament and the secondend being adapted for delivering aerosol medicament to a subject, themouthpiece member comprising: a housing defining a passage through whichaerosol medicament can be supplied to a subject and comprising asidewall in which an opening is formed; and a one-piece valve membercomprising a first valve element that permits delivery of aerosol to asubject during inhalation and blocks the passage during exhalation and asecond valve element that blocks the opening in the sidewall of thehousing during inhalation and is movable away from the opening to permitthe flow of air to the outside of the housing from the passage duringexhalation, wherein the first valve element extends axially away fromthe housing in a rest position.
 39. The mouthpiece of claim 38, whereinthe housing comprises a substantially frustoconical section.
 40. Anapparatus for aerosol medication delivery, comprising: a mouthpiecemember for delivering aerosol medicament to a subject, a holding chamberhaving first and second ends, the mouthpiece member being disposed atthe second end of the chamber and a receptacle member being disposed atthe first end of the chamber, the receptacle member comprising: anopening adapted to accept a source of aerosol medicament, a ventpermitting fluid communication for the entry of outside air into theholding chamber, and a means for imparting a rotational flow to theoutside air entering the holding chamber, wherein at least a portion ofthe means for imparting rotation flow is spaced from the vent and atleast partially obscuring the vent when the receptacle member is viewedfrom above.
 41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the opening of thereceptacle creates an airtight seal around the source of aerosolmedicament.
 42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the receptacle memberis formed of a flexible material such that the receptacle member may beremoved from and replaced on the holding chamber without loss offunctionality.
 43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the receptaclemember has a plurality of vents, disposed equidistantly around thereceptacle member.
 44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the receptaclemember directs outside air to the wall of the interior of the holdingchamber, thus creating a flow of such air along the wall of the holdingchamber and reducing particulate deposit from the aerosol medicamentwithin the holding chamber.
 45. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein themeans to impart rotational flow comprises at least one baffle disposedon the receptacle member to direct air entering the holding chamberthrough a vent into a rotational flow within the chamber.
 46. Theapparatus of claim 42, wherein the receptacle member has a lip aroundthe perimeter of the receptacle member, which enclosed the first end ofthe holding chamber.
 47. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein thereceptacle member comprises support ribs for supporting the source ofaerosol medicament.
 48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the openingof the receptacle member is defined by a collar that extends inward andmay be pushed up against the support ribs for retaining the source ofaerosol medicament.
 49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the supportribs are oriented radially when viewed in lateral cross section.
 50. Theapparatus of clam 45, wherein the baffle is a cyclone baffle.
 51. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the second valve element extends in asubstantially axial direction when the apparatus is not in use.